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Question from Maria, a student:

I need to drape an entire room with fabric. The width of the fabric is 120 inches.
How many yards of fabric do I need if the room is 4000 sq ft. (50 x 80 ft) and the ceiling is 12 ft. high.

Hi Maria,

$120$ inches is $\frac{120}{12} = 10$ feet hence it will take $8$ vertical strips along the long wall and $5$ vertical strips along the short wall. Thus in total you need $8 + 5 + 8 + 5 = 26$ strips, each $12$ feet long. This is a total of $26 \times 12 = 312$ feet which is $\frac{312}{3} = 104$ yards.

You will need enough additional material for hems on each strip. Write back if you need additional assistance,
Penny

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